The Reformation and Martin Luther

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Martin Luther's crusade against what he viewed as corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and the greater importance of faith in God and Jesus Christ than of good works, as stated in his famous work, "The Freedom of a Christian Man".

From the Paper:

"Martin Luther introduced new religious ideas that would shake the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church throughout Europe. He was responding to what he viewed as corruption in the Church, such as the sale of indulgences and simony, the buying of ecclesiastical authority, as well as more spiritual aspects, such as which of the sacraments were valid according to the Bible, and the issue of faith as opposed to good works. By "works," Luther refers to the actions of the individual in his/her daily life. Good works could include helping a neighbor with a problem, giving to charity, or doing something kind. In his statement from The Freedom of a Christian Man, "law" means the mandates of the Church, of the Bible, and of society that are meant to keep people from doing what are considered bad or evil things."

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